Residual Thermal Stresses Due to Cool-Down of Epoxy-Resin Composites

This paper concerns the residual thermal stresses that develop within the resin of a fiber-reinforced composite-laminate as the material is cooled from cure temperature down to room temperature. The calculations presented herein consider the viscoelastic response of the resin and account for the temperature dependence and the stress sensivitity of the creep compliance. Comparisons with linear elasticity indicate that viscoelastic relaxation may reduce the residual stresses by about 20 percent.